Closer to parking charges

Parking fees have come a step nearer to being introduced in Bingham’s carparks.

Rushcliffe Borough Council’s place shaping and community engagement group voted in favour of introducing pay and display machines in principle on Monday.

A report recommended pay and display on a short-term basis covering carparks at Newgate Street, Needham Street and Union Street and for parking bays around Bingham Market Square.

Charges would operate 9am- 6pm, Monday to Saturday, costing 30p for up to one hour and £1 for up to two hours.

The charge for three hours at Newgate Street, Bingham, and Walkers Yard, Radcliffe — the busiest carparks — will be fixed at £2.

The panel spent months looking at the problems caused by rural carparking.

The committee chairman, Mrs Jean Smith, said the situation at Bingham and Radcliffe had become a nightmare.

The cause was put down to long-term parkers who used up spaces all day, to the detriment of traders.

Mrs Smith said: “If the shops don’t get customers our villages will die.”

She wanted a fair system where shoppers could be guaranteed a parking spot at a small cost.

Mr Terry Holt, who led the member panel, said the council was looking to hold discussions with Bingham Town Council about using land at Butt Field for additional parking.

Talks would be held with Rail Network about their proposals for improving the town railway station and these could lead to further parking spaces.

Another idea was to have park and ride sites on land such as public house carparks.

Councillors voted to go ahead with pay and display on condition that parking bays around Bingham Market Place would be exempt from restrictions for traders on market days.

There will be no charges on Sundays and bank holidays.

The proposals go to the council’s cabinet on June 3, when the final decision will be made.

The cost of setting up the scheme in Bingham, Radcliffe, Keyworth and Rushcliffe Country Park is expected to be £73,100 with annual running costs of £165,429.

Bingham pressure group Community Concern felt the panel ignored their concerns.

It suggested a long-stay carpark be built near Saxondale roundabout and asked for the council not to introduce pay parking until long-stay parking was available. It also wanted schemes in place to stop drivers parking in residential areas.

The borough council’s deputy chief executive, Mr Paul Randle, said the panel listened to all the views of the various consultees and developed their recommendations.